Audiences

FAQs

Yes. All new undergraduate students are required to attend a New Student Conference in order to complete enrollment at Texas A&M University (not required for Graduate, Post-Baccalaureate, Re-Admits, or change of curriculum students from Texas A&M Galveston).¬† Registration for your conference costs $100 (non-refundable).Texas A&M University is committed to the orientation and academic transition of each new student.¬† A new student will receive academic advisement, an opportunity to learn and sign up for different university services and register for classes at their New Student Conference. Failing to attend a conference¬†will prohibit¬†you from registering for classes and attending Texas A&M University.¬†¬†Those who do not attend a New Student Conference forfeit their admission to TAMU and must reapply for a future term.

Spring AdmitsFreshmen and Transfer¬†‚Äď Once you accept your offer of admission online through AIS, you will be able to proceed through New Student Conference registration.¬† New Student Conference registration information¬†will be mailed with your letter of admission.

If you are admitted after mid-January, you will receive NSC registration materials with your letter of admission and you will be able to proceed immediately through NSC registration upon accepting your offer of admission online via AIS.

New Student Conference registration is open¬†from¬†September 15 through the May 1, 2018 deadline.

Transfer¬†‚Äď New Student Conference information will be sent to you with your letter of admission.¬† You will be able to register for your ¬†New Student Conference ¬†online through AIS until the posted deadline.

No. The New Student Conference is only mandatory for new undergraduate students and is not required for Graduate, Post-Baccalaureate, Re-Admits, or Change of Curriculum students from Texas A&M Galveston.

Yes.¬† In order to provide a comprehensive orientation experience, you are required to attend the entire conference.¬† Conference sessions build upon each other in order to prepare you for your transition to Texas A&M and to complete course registration.¬† Failure to attend your full conference will result in your being blocked from registering for your first semester courses. Please be prepared to stay until 6:00 p.m. on Day 2 of your conference.

Some students will be eligible for an NSC fee deferral if they utilized an application fee waiver. If a deferral is selected as a payment method, it means the student will be billed for the $100 nonrefundable conference fee at the beginning of their first semester.

Unless you were able to utilize an application fee waiver, you are not able to reserve a space in a New Student Conference without payment. If you qualify for this option, it will appear automatically.

We interpret registration in a New Student Conference as a confirmation that you will be attending Texas A&M. If you ¬†decide not to attend after registering for a conference, please withdraw your application via the Howdy portal at howdy.tamu.edu. Your conference fee is, however, non-refundable.

When selecting your conference, please keep in mind that check-in will begin early in the morning on Day 1, requiring all NSC attendees to arrive on campus and check in by 9:15 a.m. Be prepared to stay until 6 p.m. on Day 2, if necessary, to complete course registration. Additionally, we encourage you to arrive on the day prior to your New Student Conference, what we refer to as the Pre-Conference Day. For example, if you are registered for the June 6‚Äď7 conference, your Pre-Conference Day will take place on June 5. The Pre-Conference Day, while optional, is a great time to check in at the conference early, get settled, take care of items on your NSC Checklist, and attend supplemental programming. Pre-Conference Day check-in¬†takes place in the afternoon (refer to NSC Schedule for exact times.)

If you are an international student, review the New International Student Check-In webpage before selecting your conference date. You should plan to schedule your New International Student Check-In with International Student Services (ISS) during your Pre-Conference Day or on Day 1 of your New Student Conference.

Yes. Seats in classes are opened throughout the summer to ensure that every student gets appropriate classes, whether they are attending the first NSC or the last. Typically, academic advisors pre-register students attending August NSCs for classes in July before open registration begins to ensure that all students have at least a basic schedule. Students will be able to make changes, if necessary, to their schedule during their NSC.

Log on to the Applicant Information System (AIS) using your NetID and Password. If you do not have a NetID or if you have forgotten your password, please follow the links on the page.

After the system has verified your NetID and Password, it will pull up your application information.

Under the Your Application Status heading, find Step 5. You will see a link to view your admission decision.¬† If you have been accepted to the university you will see a link to a page informing you of our acceptance to Texas A&M University. Under the heading Accepting Our Offer of Admission, ¬†you must accept your offer of admission before registering for a New Student Conference.

Once you have accepted the admission offer,¬† click on the NSC link and follow the directions on the screen.

Once you have completed registration, a confirmation page will appear indicating the dates that have been registered for your conference and your payment information.

At the bottom of the NSC confirmation page, you will find the¬†information you need to sign up for on campus¬†conference housing and purchase a New Student Conference parking permit.

A link to register family members and guests for the New Student Conference will be available in the Applicant Information System.

After registering for a New Student Conference, you will receive a Texas A&M Gmail account. Please check this account often as important messages will be sent there. Your email address is yourNetID@tamu.edu. Your password is the same password you use to access Howdy and the Applicant Information System (AIS). You can access your email account at google.tamu.edu.¬†If you are unable to login contact Help Central Desk at (979) 845-8300, Monday-Sunday, 24-hours a day.

After you have successfully registered for a New Student Conference, you may review the conference date for which you are registered by returning to the NSC registration site.

Log on to the Applicant Information System (AIS) using your NetID and Password. If you do not have a NetID or if you have forgotten your password, please follow the links on the page.

After the system has verified your NetID and Password, it will pull up your application information.

Under the Your Application Status heading, find Step 5, and click the link underneath. Upon clicking the link, a confirmation page should appear.

Many times students do not wait for a confirmation page. They exit the site early and their registration has not completed. If a confirmation page hasn’t appeared, an error has occurred and the registration was not captured. If you do not see your confirmation information, and you are sure you have registered for a conference, please contact the Office of Admissions by phone at (979) 845-1060, Monday-Friday, 8a.m.-5p.m.

You are allowed to change your conference date as long as dates are available on the NSC registration website. It is important to attend the conference date for which you are registered.¬† Students are not allowed to participate in a conference they are not registered for in advance.¬† Those who do not attend a New Student Conference forfeit their admission to TAMU and must reapply for a future term.

Note: The on-campus housing reservation system for conferences is separate from the New Student Conference registration system. If you are changing your conference date, you will need to contact the Department of Residence Life at (979) 845-9381 to change your NSC on-campus housing accommodations

No, there is no waiting list. Conferences are on a first come, first served basis.¬† If you prefer a conference date that is currently full, you may¬†monitor the availability of open seats online on the New Student Conference Registration website.¬† To do this, log in to AIS via applicant.tamu.edu, click the ‚ÄúFor More Information‚ÄĚ link under Step 5 of Your Application Status.¬†¬† When the New Student Conference Registration website appears, click the ‚ÄúReschedule‚ÄĚ link at the bottom of the webpage.¬† All available conference dates will appear on the screen for your admission type.

If the date you desire is not available, continue to check back frequently as availability is updated in¬†‚Äúreal time,‚ÄĚ when¬†students change their conference date or cancel their admission.

Confirmation for Spring admits are mailed in December. Confirmation materials for Fall admits are mailed in April.¬† If you have registered for your conference but have not received a confirmation packet, please check online to make sure you have registered for a conference (see instructions).

Admitted Freshman students may request a¬†change of major via the Howdy Portal,¬†howdy.tamu.edu¬†up to 3 days prior to their NSC. Select the Applicant¬†Tab and ‚ÄėManage Applications.‚Äô The last time you will be able to request a change of major is during Check-In on Day 1 of your NSC Date; provided that major is participating in your currently scheduled NSC.

Some¬†majors have enrollment limits and may¬†not accept a change of major, such as¬†the College of Architecture (all majors);¬†College of Engineering (all majors); Mays¬†Business School (all majors); Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary¬†Medicine; Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Zoology within the College of Science; Psychology, Communications and Journalism Studies-¬†University Studies in the College of¬†Liberal Arts; and Public Health in the¬†College of Public Health.

Please be aware that a change of major¬†is never guaranteed. A change of major¬†may mean a change in your NSC date;¬†therefore, verify that your new college¬†is participating in the NSC in which you¬†are currently registered. If not, you must¬†reschedule your conference.

Feel free to direct any questions concerning change of majors to the Office of Admissions using the ‘Contact Us’ link on the Applicant Information System: http://applicant.tamu.edu/.

Transfer Students

Transfer students are admitted to a specific degree program.¬† Changes of major across colleges will not be considered for at least one full semester. ¬† You will be limited to the degree plan to which you have been admitted when registering for courses at your New Student Conference ¬†

Blinn Team Students

Blinn TEAM students cannot change their major while participating in the Blinn TEAM program.

Admitted Freshman students may request a¬†change of major via the Howdy Portal,¬†howdy.tamu.edu¬†up to 3 days prior to their NSC. Select the Applicant¬†Tab and ‚ÄėManage Applications.‚Äô The last time you will be able to request a change of major is during Check-In on Day 1 of your NSC Date; provided that major is participating in your currently scheduled NSC.

Some¬†majors have enrollment limits and may¬†not accept a change of major, such as¬†the College of Architecture (all majors);¬†College of Engineering (all majors); Mays¬†Business School (all majors); Biomedical Sciences in the College of Veterinary¬†Medicine; Biology, Molecular and Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Zoology within the College of Science; Psychology, Communications and Journalism Studies-¬†University Studies in the College of¬†Liberal Arts; and Public Health in the¬†College of Public Health.

Please be aware that a change of major¬†is never guaranteed. A change of major¬†may mean a change in your NSC date;¬†therefore, verify that your new college¬†is participating in the NSC in which you¬†are currently registered. If not, you must¬†reschedule your conference.

Feel free to direct any questions concerning change of majors to the Office of Admissions using the ‘Contact Us’ link on the Applicant Information System: http://applicant.tamu.edu/.

Transfer students are admitted to a specific degree-granting program, and should be aware that not all other majors may be available to them for future changes of majors.¬† Changes of major across colleges will not be considered for at least one full semester.¬† Many departments and colleges have grade point requirements and Texas A&M residency requirements and restrictions for changes of major.¬† Your course registration at your New Student Conference will be limited to the degree program to which you have been admitted.¬† For more information, please contact your specific academic college.

Yes. Texas Law¬†requires all students under age 22 entering an institution of higher education to provide current proof of vaccination against bacterial meningitis (an immunization given within 5 years of the date of intended enrollment) or meet certain requirements for declining such a vaccination. Newly admitted students who have not provided documentation of vaccination have a meningitis deficiency hold placed on their account. The hold will be removed once the appropriate immunization documentation has been provided to Texas A&M. The meningitis deficiency hold will prevent you from checking in to your New Student Conference and registering for classes, so it is imperative you submit documentation¬†at least 10 days prior to arriving at your NSC. For more information, please visit: http://admissions.tamu.edu/meningitis/.
The law further states that students must have received the vaccination no later than 10 days before the first day of the semester in which the student enrolls.¬†For students attending a New Student Conference less than 10 days before the first day of class or enrolling for a summer term, the following due dates apply:

For Students Enrolling

Deadline

January 2017

December 22

Summer I 2017

May 17

Summer II 2017

June 22 or before your NSC (whichever date is earlier)

Fall 2017

At least 10 days prior to your New Student Conference **For students attending the¬†August New Student Conferences, you are strongly encouraged to submit your Evidence of Vaccination by July 7¬†so that you can be pre-registered for classes by your academic college.

If you arrive at your New Student Conference and have not yet fulfilled this requirement, you will not be able to check in and must take care of your immunization requirement immediately.¬†Vaccinations will be available at the Beutel Health Center on campus at a cost comparable to that at a local pharmacy.¬† Payment by check or credit card can be made when the vaccination is administered, or the charge can be added to your fee statement. Students are highly encouraged to take care of this requirement prior to the New Student Conference, as the cost of the vaccination may be lower through your current health care provider.

To determine if you have satisfied the evidence of vaccination requirement for bacterial meningitis for your student file, go to the Applicant Information System (AIS) website, applicant.tamu.edu, and ensure that a check mark is present on the Bacterial Meningitis checklist item found under the ‚ÄėAdditional credentials required prior to Enrollment/Registration‚Äô section. For more information including where to send your documentation, visit http://admissions.tamu.edu/meningitis/.¬† Or, upload your proof of vaccination through AIS by choosing the link under the ‚ÄúUpload Supporting Documents‚ÄĚ section.¬† Your will be able to view your immunization document on the AIS screen within the next 24 hours.

Once you applied to Texas A&M University (via www.ApplyTexas.org), you were issued a Universal Identification Number (UIN), which is sent to the postal and email address you entered on your www.ApplyTexas.org application. You can use your UIN to activate your personal user name (“NetID”) here.

If you have forgotten your NetID password and have set up your password security questions, reset your password here.

If you have forgotten your Net ID or password and have not set up your password security questions (that allow self-service password resetting), please contact the Texas A&M Information Technology¬†Help Desk Central at (979) 845-8300 or at helpdesk@tamu.edu.

Though not required, family members/guests who serve in primary support roles are encouraged to attend the New Student Conference with you.¬†We have many programs and services specifically designed for family members. Texas A&M University believes that the college experience represents a collaboration involving the student, the family of the student and the University. We invite family members to participate in the New Student Conference. Those who accompany students will have many opportunities to meet administrators, staff and student Orientation Leaders. We hope that by participating, you will become informed about the University‚Äôs academic programs, policies, facilities and services.

Your student can make register family members and guests through the Applicant Information System (applicant.tamu.edu) until 5 business days prior to their NSC.

January NSCs: Early bird conference registration charge is $25 per adult guest (18+) and $10 per child guest (5-17 yrs old)¬†until five business days prior to the conference. Past five business days before the scheduled conference parents and families must utilize on-site registration, which will occur at $35 per adult guests and $10 per child guest.¬† Children under 5 years old are free and do not require registration.

Summer NSCs:¬†Early bird conference registration charge is $25 per adult guest (18+) and $10 per child guest (5-17 yrs old) until 11:59pm on May 1.¬† From May 2¬†until five business days prior to the conference charges are $30 per adult guest and $10 per child. Past five business days before the scheduled conference parents and families must utilize on-site registration, which will occur at $35 per adult guests and $10 per child guest.¬† Children under 5 years old are free and do not require registration.

Registered family members/guests are welcome to participate in the entire conference by following the family schedule they will receive at NSC Check-In. While all family members are welcome to attend, the conference activities are not designed for the enjoyment of younger children, so¬†if possible, alternate arrangements are encouraged.

They will follow a “family schedule”.¬† They will join their students for most¬†programs and they will also participate in programs specifically designed for family members.¬† There will be some¬†programs specifically designed for students in which family members will not attend.¬† For a complete schedule, please visit http://newaggie.tamu.edu/family-and-guests/at-your-students-nsc/nsc-dates/.

Each adult (18 and up) family member/guest who wishes to attend must register online and pay the $25 conference charge (family registration price increases after May 1). Your student can make register family members and guests through the Applicant Information System (applicant.tamu.edu) until 5 business days prior to their NSC.¬†For more information, please visit http://newaggie.tamu.edu/family-and-guests/.

ALL vehicles must display a valid Texas A&M University parking permit when parked on University property (other than visitor parking areas). New Student Conference attendees should purchase a New Student Conference Parking Permit OR pay to park in a visitor facility. The most convenient lot for New Student Conference Check-In is West Campus Garage or Lot 61. For further information regarding parking during your NSC, please visit the Freshman or Transfer parking arrangements page.

Please check your New Student Conference Schedule for the location of your New Student Conference Check-In, as an alternate location is occasionally announced. Schedules are posted at least one week prior to the confirmed date of your New Student Conference. For further information, please visit the Freshman or Transfer Dates & Schedules page.

Students and families staying in on-campus conference housing may check in on the 1st Floor of Kyle Field. Check-In is available between 1:30 and 5:00 p.m. on the Pre-Conference Day and 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Day One.

All students who are not exempt must first complete the mandatory TSI Pre-Assessment Activity (PAA) and then take the TSI Assessment test. Non-exempt students will be blocked from registering for all classes during the New Student Conference until the TSI Pre-Assessment Activity has been completed, the TSI Assessment test has been taken and scores are on file at Texas A&M University. If you have taken the TSI Assessment test anywhere other than at Texas A&M University, please do not assume that your test scores have been sent to Texas A&M. You must order a transcript with your test scores and have it mailed to Admissions. If you have further questions concerning the Texas Success Initiative, please contact the Academic Success Center at (979) 458-4900 or visit the website at http://successcenter.tamu.edu/Programs/Texas-Success-Initiative/.

The mandatory TSI Pre-Assessment Activity (including the practice test) can be found on either the ‚ÄúApplicant‚ÄĚ or ‚ÄúMy Record‚ÄĚ tab in the Howdy Portal. The TSI Assessment test is available at Texas A&M University for students who have not met the Texas Success Initiative requirement. It will be administered by Data and Research Services, at 1101 General Services Complex, corner of F&B and Agronomy roads. Students need to register for the test prior to the test date at 1101 General Services Complex, corner of F&B and Agronomy roads or by contacting Data and Research Services at (979) 845-0532. For more information, please visit http://dars.tamu.edu/Testing/.

Once conferences are full, those dates will no longer appear on the registration website and they will no longer be available due to seating capacity limits and fire safety regulations.¬† Each year students request to be forced into conferences to accommodate changes in their personal schedule due to work conflicts, family obligations and travel outside of the country. These types of requests are denied by the NSC Registration Appeals Committee in order to accommodate orientation and registration for more than 11,000 freshmen while ensuring the safety of conference participants.

Appeals to change a conference date are granted for military orders, medical emergencies or other extenuating circumstances that students can substantiate with written documentation.¬† Appeals should be addressed to the NSC Registration Appeals Committee using the My Questions¬†section on the Applicant Information System (http://applicant.tamu.edu/).

Steps to Change an NSC Registration Date:

Log on to the Applicant Information System (AIS) at applicant.tamu.edu using your NetID and Password. If you do not have a NetID or if you have forgotten your password, please follow the links on the page.

After the system has verified your NetID and Password, it will pull up your application information.

Click the ‚ÄúFor More Information‚ÄĚ link under Step 5 of Your Application Status in AIS.

When the New Student Conference Registration website appears, click the ‚ÄúReschedule‚ÄĚ link at the bottom of the webpage.¬† All available conference dates will appear on the screen.

Choose a date and select ‚ÄúSubmit.‚ÄĚ A revised confirmation page will appear with updated information concerning your registration.¬† Print this document for your records.¬† If the date you desire is not available, check back frequently, as availability is updated in¬†‚Äúreal time.‚ÄĚ

Note:¬† As the deadline approaches for NSC registration, space in conferences will be limited.

The Office of Admissions¬†requires official copies of your final high school transcript and any completed college courses. You may bring these with you to your New Student Conference to turn in to the Admissions representative present at Check-In. If you do not bring them with you, they will need to be turned in during the Fall semester before you attempt to register for Spring classes (for students beginning in January, they will need to be turned in during the Spring semester before you attempt to register for Summer or Fall classes). If you have college credit, please at least bring a copy of an unofficial transcript for your academic advisor to review.¬†Faxed, emailed, copied or uploaded transcripts are not acceptable official documents and will not complete a student‚Äôs file.

Requirements for¬†Transfer Students:¬†Most transfer students are not required to take the MPE.

There is one exception‚ÄĒif you are planning to take MATH 147/151/171 at Texas A&M, a prerequisite restriction will prevent you from enrolling in this course unless you either have credit for MATH 150 at TAMU or a grade on the MPE.¬† If you have taken a pre-calculus course equivalent to MATH 150 (TCCNS 2412) at another institution, your Texas A&M advisor might be able to substitute that for MATH 150; otherwise, you will have to take the MPE before you can enroll in MATH 147/151/171.

Requirements for¬†Freshman Students:¬†All Freshmen are required to take the MPE. Students will not be permitted to register for any mathematics course until MPE test scores are on file.

Testing Instructions:To take the MPE, log into Howdy at howdy.tamu.edu and go to the Applicant Tab and follow the instructions for the Math Placement Exam. Use the online review material available to help you prepare for this 90-minute exam. Be prepared to spend the full 90 minutes taking the exam. If you experience any technical difficulties, please contact the Department of Mathematics at mathassessment@math.tamu.edu.

The following rules apply to the Math Placement Exam:

Calculators are not permitted.

Exam must be taken before you attend your New Student Conference.

The exam may be repeated. However, there is a 2 week waiting period between attempts.

Students who intend to enroll for the first time in a college foreign language course, who have previous knowledge of the language, however acquired, and who have no college credit in the language MUST take a placement test to determine the appropriate course for their level of ability. The foreign language placement test also serves as a basis for credit by examination. Second language learners who take the Advanced Placement (AP) test, the College Board Achievement test, the International Baccalaureate test (IB) or the SAT II Subject Test in their foreign language of choice do not have to take the required foreign language placement tests, as the results of these tests may be used for placement, but it is highly recommended. Heritage language learners must always take the placement test, regardless of their scores on high school tests, because these tests sometimes are not a good reflection of the language abilities of those students.

The Spanish Language Placement Test is administered by Hispanic Studies in the College of Liberal Arts. There is a $20.00 fee that is due at the time of registration. For more information, call (979) 458-0672. Click here to register for this test.

All other Language Placement Tests are administered by International Studies in the College of Liberal Arts. There is a $20.00 fee that is due at the time of registration. For more information, call (979) 845-5144 and to register for this test, please select ‚ÄúInternational Studies‚ÄĚ and then the appropriate language at http://marketplace.tamu.edu.

All tests will be administered on the Pre-Conference Day of the New Student Conference along with credit by examination tests. The test will also be offered at various times during the fall and spring semesters. Students who do not take the placement test on the Pre-Conference Day will not be able to register for a foreign language course during their first semester. (Please note: Seats in language courses are limited; taking the Language Placement Exam does not guarantee the ability to register for a language course during your first semester.)

First, submit your student ID picture online prior to your NSC at https://myaggiecard.tamu.edu. During your New Student Conference, you can pick up your ID. Additionally, if you haven’t already you can get your photo taken and student ID made. Please refer to¬† the schedule for locations. You must have a current government-issued¬†photo ID (drivers license, military ID, etc) to receive your ID Card.

Textbooks may be purchased or reserved while you are on campus during your New Student Conference.¬† Please visit the¬†Barnes¬†& Noble* table at Resource Tables during your New Student Conference to obtain a textbook reservation form or reserve on-line.

*students are under no obligation to purchase textbooks from the official Texas A&M University Bookstore

If your permanent mailing address changes prior to registration, please notify the Office of Admissions to ensure receipt of future mailings.¬†¬†For more information contact:¬† Office of Admissions, (979) 845-1060. After you are enrolled, please make the change¬†on the Howdy Portal.

If you know what your local address and phone number will be when you register for your classes, you can submit this information at that time. After that time, use the Howdy Portal. All students MUST update their local phone numbers and addresses¬†at the Howdy Portal by the 12th class day.¬† For more information contact: Office of the Registrar, (979) 845-1031.

For questions regarding scoring or how courses will apply to your degree plan, please contact your departmental advisor (click here for a listing). If you took an Advanced Placement (AP) test in May, scores will not be received by Texas A&M University until mid-July. Students will need to accept AP credit to have it applied to their transcript for course credit. This should only be done after consulting with your academic advisor within your department. Once you register for classes, you may accept AP credit online through the Howdy Portal. Simply click on the ‚ÄúCredit by Examination‚ÄĚ link in the Grades and Transcripts channel on the My Record tab.

All students who are not U.S. Citizens or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents ‚Äď regardless of whether you are classified as a resident for tuition purposes by meeting the criteria for HB-1403, SB-1528 or the 36-Month Provision ‚Äď are considered to be international students at Texas A&M University. New international students must make arrangements to complete the mandatory Online Orientation and attend the mandatory New International Student Check-In coordinated by the¬†International Student Services¬†(ISS) office. To determine how these requirements relate to your attendance at a New Student Conference, please refer to the New Student Conferences‚Äô¬†Information for International Students¬†webpage. For more information about these requirements, please visit the ISS¬†Orientation & Check-In¬†webpage.